Vehicle side and window washing machine



J. R. FITZPATRICK VEHICLE SIDE AND WINDOW WASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheei Filed July 27. 1926 W i =1\ H. 54

INVENTOR 7:5 ipaZrz'c/C ATTORNEY I fawn Apri J. FITZPATRICK VEHICLE SIDE AND WINDOW WASHING MACHINE Filed July 27. 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY April 17, 1928. v

J. R. FITZPATRICK VEHICLE SIDE AND WINDOW WASHING MACHINE Y Fild July 27. 1926 s Sheets$heet 5 W INVENTOR 9P ATTORNEY Patented Apr. .17, 1928.

JAMES R F ITZPA RICKQ F NEW YORK;

Application filed zr'ui 2 7,

i I 2 This invention relates toa vehicle side and "window washing machine. "Its main objectv is to produce an upstanding, car side and window washing apparatus which can be duplicated in transversely opposed, spaced i apart pairs, between which railroad car's, street cars, omnibuses and various other types of vehicles, maybe run for simultaneously washing the opposed sides and e j d spaced apart, adjacent the fiooring, andal'so.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one-form of apparatus in which my in-' vention is embodied,

Fig. 1 is atop plan viewof an upstanding,

'sta'tionary, main frame; and a, brush, water -II1&Cl11I16$. 1 Y

conduit and motor carrying carriage mount "ed in the main frame.

; '.Fi-g.,2 shows an end elevation of a-car between, and having its opposed sides eachv 0 incontact with, a vertical, scrubbing brush carried by acarriage supported in anupstanding, stationary, main frame at each side of theIcar body. t .;1 Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram iofthemotor starting and stopping apparatus which'is actuatable by contactwith a-passing vehicle side. 17

7 Fig.4 is an inward, partial side elevation" ofone of the washing machines and shows ithe carriage provided withthree vertical brushes and vertical, lengthwise perforated water conduits and the brush driving me'ch- "Qanism. Y

a main frame and at corresponding members .of the brush water conduit and carryingv l carriage, showing the means for adjusting I: the carriage towards and from thecarpas-Q sageway, and the brush driving mechanism.

In the drawings, the stationary main frameis indicated by 1 applied to each ofits Li}. two, spaced'apart, parallel, to'phorizontal I members that 'extendyin the direction ofthe; i side of the car to be washed.

(F 1-)" J Theupstanding, main frames are hi'gher than the roof of the car'which is to, be passed: between two opposed main frames, As the two main frames and the two brush, watery conduit and motor carry ng carrlages are of E, e I N of the mainframe.

identical construction, description of one a main 'fra mefandof one carriage will suiiice for vboth main frames and both carriages.

. The main frame and carriage construction,

7 as shown, isin part'of angle irons and otherv forms a .roa machines; Thlsroadway ma'ysbe provide 7 'WItlI track rails, asjshown, so desired.

- bars 6, (F-i'g. 5) extending in the 1 3 which tracks on'an. underlflange .13?

metal members, but both the main frames was. serial No. 125,139.

or lesser extent, of wood if sodesired'g. ,1

it Each. 1001) member 1 PPQ by a Pair 1 of Vert1alposts2 the under ends oftw g g I dway between the tw g as shown, are anchored in flooring -X,;wl1'ic'h Each pair of: posts '2v are tied together; "and1v I mim and the carriages maybe .made,to.;agreater 1 V f f if at theirup'per. portions,by. hori'zontal' car- 3, extending in the directionof a car side;

or,inother words, at right anglesto. the

The two top members of each main Triage track-forming, under andupper plates frame .arela'l'so connected together top bars 4, whereby each main frame is made a rigid, 'four poste'd structurei The four-posted mainframe, at one side of the-car passage way between the two washing machines, be connectedatfits top with the top; of .the

corresponding mainframe, at theother side i '7 passageway," by an overhead bracef5', underneath which aicar'may bespassed between the washing machines.

erablyiadjustable,motor, water conduit and] brush'ca'rryingcarriage.V

I Each carriage includesa pair -para11e1,=;,

horizontal, spaced apartfwheel carrying top of the passageway." 'Below each top bar- .6,

J there is an under and therewi'thp arallel, horizontal,- "wheel carrying under bar 7. 7 Each top bar 6 is connected'to an underlying underbar 7 byavertical member' Z 'and'also the two members 8"being"alinied on-the inmembers 7' being alined at an is provided, o itsupper side, withfawheel 9 which trackson the underedge of anupp'er mainframe plate 3.

Boy

*Each'main framel's provided pref direction by a therewith parallel, vertical mernber 8',

,Thefupperiedge' of each bar- G'has a'horizon-- I 'tal wheel bearing. flange 10 which rides on wheel A i Each 'underbar-7i's provided with a e of an' under vmain frame plate ,3, and'is, also pros vided with a ho'riiontal, wheel bearing flange v '14: which slides on an under wheel l5,pivoted 11:1,:pivoted at 12,to'an in Ward'p st-Q Y n wheelno" i nect the plates 17 and 18.

at 16 in a bracket 16 on a main frame post 2.

The wheels 9 and 13 are at the outward, and the wheels 11 and 15 are at theinward portion, of the carriage.

The two top bars 6 of the carriageare transversely connected, in a direction parallel with the passageway, by a horizontal plate 17 (Fig. 1) and by a therewith parallel pair of inward plates 18. The latter are connected, in right angular directionto them, by upstanding shaft bearings 19 forthe brush driving shaft 20 which is parallel to Y the passageway, and is provided with a sprocket over which a sprocket chain 22 travels to a sprocket wheel23, on the shaft 2d of an electric motor M. This motor is supported on horizontal plates 25 which con- At their under ends, the inward vertical members S-of the carriage are transversely connected by horizontal, spaced apart plates 19 one of each being directly below an inw rd top plate 18. The inward top plates 18 support, between them, and the inward under plates 19 support, between them, a series of journal boxes 26 for the upper andunder end portions of the vertical brush shafts 27. The upper end 'of each brush shaft has a horizontahbevelled,

gear wheel 28 in mesh with a bevelled driving gear 29 on shaft 20. Three vertical, revolub le brushes 21 are shown, spaced apart one from another. The brushes each have a length equal to or greater than the height of a car side.

The carriage carries a number of-fixed, vertical, water conduits 30, each lengthwise perforated at 31, for discharge of water into a vertical bight which each circular brush forms with a passing car side engaged by the brushes. Each conduit 30 communicates with a water supply conduit 32 fixed to the bar 7'', with a gear wheel 36, in mesh with.

against opposite sides windows in the car sides,

carriage and adapted for connection to a flexible hose H.

The opposite carriages are preferably adjustable away from and towards the passageway, in order to bring the brushes at each side of thecar, into greater or less pressure of the car and the and also in order to adjust the brushes to car bodies varying in width. Accordingly,each main frame is provided with a hand wheel 33 on ashaft 34, parallel with the passageway. The shaft is j ournalled in brackets 35 on the vertical carriage bars 7 and is provided, adjacent each a horizontal rack-37 which connects each pair of main frame posts 2. Stops 38 on the main frame members'3 cooperate with stops 39 on v the bars6 of the carriage, to limit the extent of the carriage adjustment.

As shown on Fig. 3, themain frame car ries a" spring pressed, electric switch-arm 40, the spring being indicated by 41. The

such 'means comprislng switch-arni projects into thepath of the advancing end of the car. Vifhen the switch arm is engaged by the car, the switch is moved, to start the motor. When the car passes out of contact with the switch arm, the spring returns the switch-arm into position to shut off the motor. arm is swung by the advancing end of the car, it contacts with the electrodes 12, closing the motor circuit 13 and starts the motor. When the switch-arm is out the electrodes, the motor circuit is open.

Obviously, the car sides and windows of car body may be scrubbed by rotation of the brushes and water from the conduit perforations 31, which extend the full length of the brushes;

and the brushes, through inward adjustment take portion of which 7 water pipes H. The front end of the rinsing water pipe W communicates with a transverse pipe TV which extends, below the lower ends of the brushes and beneath the inward ends of the wheel carriage, under bars 7 to the sides of the brush carriage; then each horizontal portion of the pipe N is bent upwardly and slantingly inwards. The upper portion of each upwardly and inwardly extending portion of the pipe W is then bent horizontally inwards and anchored by a clamp W to an end of a top bar 6. Each end of the inward horizontal extension of the pipe inwardly of the clamp VV is provided with a cap Vi. and inwardly extending portions of the pipe one such portion at each side ofthe brush carriage, is frequently perforated at from the invention, as set forth in the follow-;

in claims.

/ hat I clainr 1s:

v1. In a vehicle side and window washing machine the combination of spaced means defining a vehicle passageway,

an upstanding stationary frame for a brush carriage;-of

a brush carriage supported by said frame and movable toward and away from the passageway; cooperating means between said frame and carriage for supporting the When the switchthoroughly washed. and;

each brush carriage is pro vided with a rinsing water pipe the 1nis parallel-with the.

The upwardly- "each of.

of contact with W* for ejection of rinsing water against the vehicle sides, the washing water'pipes 30.

and scrubbed surface; is fixed to the carriage f with a flexible latter movably on said frame a plurality,

of vertical shafts revolubly journalled in said carriage; brushes carried by said shafts adaptedto clean a'vehicle by contact there- With; brush driving mechanism carried loysaid carriage and movable therewith with respect 'to said frame, said mechanism comprising motor means and gearing operated thereby for driving the brushes; a Water supply apparatus for the brushes, and means under control ofvan operator for adjusting the'lorushes into and out of working carried by said shafts adapted to clean a vehicle by contact therewith; brush driving mechanism carried by said carriage and movable therewith ,with respect to said frame, said mechanism comprising motor means and gearing operated thereby for driving the brushes; a Water supply apparatus for thevbrushes; a raclf carried by said upstanding frame a vshaftjournalled in said movable carriage, and a pinion mounted on the shaft in engagement with the rack, whereby when the shaft is rotated the said "carriage and brushes will be moved into and out of working position.

3. Ina vehicle side and windowwashing machine the combination ofspacedme'ans defining a vehicle -passageway, each of such means comprising an upstanding, substan-. tially rectangular frame provided with upper and loweri'trackways; a brush carriage; rollers carried by said frame and'car-y riage for engaging the carriage and frame respectively thereby to movablysupport said I carriage invthe frame, cooperating rack and pinion means, on the frame and carriagel for adjusting the latter, a; plurality of ver' tical shafts revolubly journalled in the car 'riage adjacent the vehicle passageway, means for delivering water 'to the sa d brushes and.

to the vehicle being cleaned, and means for driving the brushes,saidmeans comprising a motor and. gearing actuated thereby, the brush drivingmeans being carried entirely by themovable carriage. i T

Signed at Staatsburg, in' the county of day'of July, A. D;, 1926. I Y

' JAMES R. FITZPATRICKQ V Dutchess andState ofN Y k t ggn 

